Class 320s on Airdrie - Bathgate line?

[JumpinTrainz]

Yesterday while passing Caldercruix at about 8pm at night a pair of Class 320s flew by at speed heading towards Blackridge. They looked like the 321 conversions but it was dark so not 100% sure.

Followed by a 3 car probably 10 minutes later. I didn’t think the 320s were cleared passed Airdrie as I haven’t seen one through that direction ever since it opened in 2010 and Drumgelloch was relocated. I only ever see 334s on the A-B. Is this a regular move?

 

[Highlandspring]

They can only run empties, they're not cleared for passenger service. There are a couple of run offs from Balloch - Airdrie services in the evening which stable at Bathgate, these can be a 318 or 320. Last night you saw 320420/411 on 5E54 1954 Airdrie - Bathgate LMD and 320417 on 5E56 2025 Airdrie - Bathgate LMD. They're back out again in the morning on 5E51 0551 Bathgate LMD - Airdrie and 5E53 0625 Bathgate LMD - Airdrie.

 

[JumpinTrainz]

Thank you for that information. I had never saw anything other than a 334 on the A-B line. Quite interesting to see.

Would be cool to see a 380 or 314 on the A-B even just once!

 

[route101]

Thank you for that information. I had never saw anything other than a 334 on the A-B line. Quite interesting to see.

Would be cool to see a 380 or 314 on the A-B even just once!

I think there is a reason ,cant remember why , id thought for operational flexibility more units could be used .

 

[Sirius]

Although 380s have SDO they are 23m units, so in six/seven car formation will be longer than the vast majority of platforms on route. I'm not sure 314s had in cab CCTV.

I quite like the fact its 334s only on the route. It means you can tell at Waverley that there's no 334s on platform and can use Traksy to confirm there's none east of Bathgate when they insist a train is going to run right up until the E-G service timetabled just afterwards leaves.

 

[route101]

Although 380s have SDO they are 23m units, so in six/seven car formation will be longer than the vast majority of platforms on route. I'm not sure 314s had in cab CCTV.

I quite like the fact its 334s only on the route. It means you can tell at Waverley that there's no 334s on platform and can use Traksy to confirm there's none east of Bathgate when they insist a train is going to run right up until the E-G service timetabled just afterwards leaves.

I used to think they were to put 380s on this route , think i was dreaming

 

[JumpinTrainz]

A-B runs pretty well with the 334s. They’re among my favourite units as I always liked getting them down the Ayrshire coast instead of the 318s. The seats are the comfiest out of all the units I’d say.

I think 380s on the line would be an overkill but it would be nice for a one off. It gets busy but not like Ayrshire and Inverclyde lines which require them most. I wonder what will happen when the 318s/320s go... whether new units will be ordered for the A-B and the 334s will go on to Argyle Line services. Or the 334s will end their days on the A-B and do some odd Argyle and North Clyde line services.

 

[alangla]

380s did stable at Bathgate from the Edinburgh end at one point, can’t remember why, think it might have been for a “wheels free” engineering block at Waverley. As far as I know, the only North Clyde passenger work the 380s have ever done was a Rutherglen to Garscadden shuttle during the Commonwealth Games

 

[gnolife]

A-B runs pretty well with the 334s. They’re among my favourite units as I always liked getting them down the Ayrshire coast instead of the 318s. The seats are the comfiest out of all the units I’d say.

I think 380s on the line would be an overkill but it would be nice for a one off. It gets busy but not like Ayrshire and Inverclyde lines which require them most. I wonder what will happen when the 318s/320s go... whether new units will be ordered for the A-B and the 334s will go on to Argyle Line services. Or the 334s will end their days on the A-B and do some odd Argyle and North Clyde line services.

I thought the A2B line (at least the Edinburgh - Milngavie/Helensburgh Ctl) was almost entirely run using 6 coach 334s, whereas the Ayrshire and Inverclyde services have a lot of 3 and 4 coach workings.

 

[Sirius]

I thought the A2B line (at least the Edinburgh - Milngavie/Helensburgh Ctl) was almost entirely run using 6 coach 334s, whereas the Ayrshire and Inverclyde services have a lot of 3 and 4 coach workings.

The Helensburgh/Milngavie to Edinburgh services are all 334s mostly as 6 car formations but you do get the odd 3.

 

[JumpinTrainz]

I don’t know what the exact numbers on the A-B are but it can get quite busy during the day but nowhere near the numbers on the GLQ-Edinburgh services. I think the 6 car in theory is incase there are any problems on the E&G line they can easily transfer on to the A-B line and it can accommodate them with 6 cars.

As previously said I think perhaps this route works well with the 334s as they are modern units and just the right size. Perhaps in the future they make go for longer carriages and 4 cars rather than the usual 6

 

[alangla]

A2B itself isn’t that busy, but Bathgate to Waverley can be insanely busy in both the peaks & shoulder peaks, the western end of the line is pretty busy too, but splitting the stops in the East End of Glasgow & Coatbridge between the Milngavie & Helensburgh trains has evened out the demand.

 

[route101]

Class 334s are fine for short distances , they do have a distinct commuter seating layout .